Where Have all the Affordable Cities Gone?

Angie Schmitt follows up on an earlier report by the Citizen's Budget Commission that made an argument for the affordability of cities like New York City, with its large network of cheap transportation.

Like Michael Lewyn, Angie Schmitt is skeptical about the implications of the conclusions produced by the report, instead arguing that "[between] the high cost of transportation in sprawling regions and the high demand for housing in compact cities with good transit, very few places in America are looking genuinely affordable these days."

Although Schmitt agrees that the CBC's report uses a better measure of affordability than housing costs alone, she also argues that "[while] abundant transit is absolutely essential to keeping household transportation costs down, and it provides a lifeline to low-income residents of major coastal cities, the report still tends to exaggerate overall affordability in these areas."

Planning: A professional practice and an academic study focused on the future of built environments and connected natural environments—from the smallest towns to the largest cities and everything in between.

Planetizen: The independent resource for people passionate about planning and related fields.